Airing between regular episodes of the VinePair Podcast, “Covid-19 Conversations” takes an inside look at how the coronavirus crisis is impacting all areas of the alcohol business.

In this installment of “Covid-19 Conversations,” VinePair’s Erica Duecy speaks with Jamie Ritchie, worldwide head of wine at Sotheby’s, about how he is leading a multinational company through a pandemic.

Ritchie discusses Sotheby’s global reach and the specific challenges it faces operating auction and retail businesses in America, Asia, and Europe. Key among these are pivoting the $100 million auction business from live to online-only formats. With travel and public health restrictions in play, there are also limitations on appraising and preparing collections for auction, as well as transporting those wines and spirits. Due to these limitations, Ritchie predicts that there will be a temporary shortage of wines at auction in the near term.

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